Struck Breaks The Ice With New Website For U.S. Speedskating Team

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Struck (www.struck.com) unveiled today a completely new website for U.S. Speedskating (www.usspeedskating.org) as part of its comprehensive rebranding efforts for the team. The project also included redesigned logos, 'skinsuit' uniforms and business suite interiors in Salt Lake City. The new brand image will debut on the world stage when the U.S. Speedskating team competes at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120820/NY59747 )

Until now, the primary goal of U.S. Speedskating's website has been to connect skaters and members - ranging from casual to Olympic - with each other and to skating events around the nation, but there was little there for fans. "For the website redesign, we wanted not only to integrate the new branding, but also to create a dynamic and intuitive user experience that would excite USS members and engage fans. The new design captures the thrill of the sport in an easy-to-navigate interface," explains Dustin Davis, Creative Director at Struck. Struck led the website research, layout, user interface and visual design. The site ties in with and completes the new brand image Struck has created for U.S. Speedskating.

In February, 2011, Struck was brought on to execute a three-year promotion program for U.S. Speedskating - a nonprofit organization that governs the sport of long and short track in the U.S.  Tamara Castellano, U.S. Speedskating director of marketing and sponsorship, explains, "We presented Struck with a huge branding challenge: create a brand presence that brings in new fans with a contemporary feel while still paying homage to our history and the distinct personalities of our long and short track athletes."

"We found that long track athletes use adjectives like solitary, disciplined and graceful to describe their sport, but short track skaters described their sport quite differently: aggressive, rough, like NASCAR on ice," says Struck Senior Account Manager Katherine Wong.

To mesh these divergent personalities, Struck developed a logo that incorporates the short and long tracks, the U.S. Speedskating letterforms and the skating oval. It also allows for a unique team identity for both the long and short track disciplines, with versions of the logo in blue and red palettes. The logo is featured prominently on the website, team areas, and redesigned uniforms, and it will be the symbol of the speedskating team at the 2014 Games.

With so many components, Struck's rebrand for U.S. Speedskating gives the storied organization a complete revitalization. "Even though we're the most decorated winter sport federation in America, a year ago we really had zero brand, no marketing outreach," says Castellano. "What Struck has pulled off for us is nothing short of a miracle."

ABOUT Struck
Struck, www.struck.com, is a national digital-forward, creative agency with offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Portland and New York. The brand experiences and campaigns the agency creates are well recognized for their forward-thinking, break-through creativity and pioneering technology. Clients include Westfield, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Universal, Jack in the Box, TCBY, Mrs. Fields, The Little Gym and Utah Office of Tourism.

ABOUT US Speedskating
US Speedskating is a non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speedskating in the United States. Its mission is to be one of the premier speedskating organizations in the world through excellence in leadership, development and performance. To date, US Speedskating has won 85 Olympic medals, making it the most successful winter sport in the U.S. In addition to its elite programs, US Speedskating is responsible for the grassroots development of speedskating.

Credits
Client: US Speedskating
Tamara Castellano - Marketing & Sponsorship Director
Jenny Walter - Marketing Coordinator
Breanna Bissell - Event & Brand Manager
Kelly Pugliano - Freelance Writer & USS Member

Agency: Struck
Tosh Brown - Director of Design
Mike Torretta - Designer
Dustin Davis - Creative Director
Rebecca Clayton - Interactive Designer
Regina Smith - Interactive Designer
Brad Kelly - Director of Production
Katherine Wong-Anderson - Senior Account Manager

Web Development: Rain Agency
Andrew Howlett - President
Daniel Hatch - Partner
Steven Hansen - Director of Technology
Hyrum Tanner - Project Manager
Keith Smith - Creative Software Developer

SOURCE Struck